Means for securing wood flooring and trimming in place in fireproof buildings.



Patented Aug. 6, 1918.

C.L.THORNBERRY. l MEANS FOR SECUHING WOOD FLOORING AND TRIMMING IN PLACE IN FIREPROOF BUILDINGS.

APPLICATION .FILED MAY II, IDII.

/l//l//f//f//l//l//l/ zv/l//l/l/l///l/l//l/l/,i'l/w ATTO R N EY CHARLES L. THORNBERRY, OF LINCOLN, NEBRASKA.

MEANS FOR SECURING WOOD FLOORING AND TRIMMING IN PLACE IN FIREPROOF BUILDINGS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

atented AuOl 6, 1918.

Application filed May 11, 1917. Serial No. 167,998.

To all whom it may concern Be :it known that I, Cuantas L. TlIonN- BERRY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lincoln, in the county of Lancaster and State of Nebraska, have invented a new and useful Means for Securing Wood Flooring and Trimming in Place in Fireproof Buildings, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to means for securing wood floors and trimming in place in fire-proof buildings.

The object is to improve and simplify the construction of walls and ['loors, in fire-proof structures, by providing means for the support of wooden flooring or wooden, metal, or composition wall covering or trimming, which is capable of being securely held in place, for such purpose, by a relatively thin layer or bed of cement or plaster in which said means is seated, by reason of the peculiar construction of the same.

The invention is designed. to reduce to a minimum the cost of securing the sleepers or flooring strips in position underlying the floor or wall covering by dispensing with the expensive cement or concrete ller usually occupying the entire space between the sleepers and other fastening devices therefor, and at the same time to provide the said sleepers with means for locking with a cement or plaster bed, which will etfectually 'prevent their dislodgment from such locking engagement when the wall or floor covering is fastened to and supported thereby.

A full and complete understanding of the invention may be obtained from a consideration of the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying dra wing forming a part of this specification; it being understood that while. the drawing shows a practical form of the invention, the latter is not confined to strict conformity therewith, but may be changed or modilied, so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention, as specilically pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing in which like reference characters designate similar parts throughout the several figures:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view, through a portion of a lloor having the 'nnproved sleepers applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a plan view partly broken away ot the same.

lig. 3 is a detail perspective view of a portion of one of the sleepers.

Fig. l is a plan view of a slightly modilied form of sleeper.

Referring to the drawing, l indicates a support formed of concrete or other lireprool material and which may be taken as ilnlicative of any suplmrting means for a. lloor, no attempt having been made to illustrate the I-beams or other structural details to be found 'in this construction, since the present invention is not concerned therewith. As the invention is equally well adapted for use in both floor and wall construction, the said support 1 may be arranged in a horizontal or a vertical position, and therefore, may be constructed in various ways.

The invention resides primarily in the peculiar shape of sleepers 2, which are adapted to be seated or bedded in a relatively thin layer of plastic material 3 in such manner as to be ell'ectually retained in position thereby, after the latter has set. The plastic material is placed upon the support l at intervals and may be composed of cement or plaster of Paris, the latter having been found most efficacious by reason of its qualities for adhering to any kind of material and is so located as to partially surround the sides of the sleepers 2 and otherwise engage the same to retain them rigidly in position.

The sleepers, which are formed of wood, capable of readily rcceivino the looring or 'all covering nails, are in the form of truncated triangles in cross section. By the removal of the apex of the triangle, a flat surface l is provided to which the usual flooring 5 and sub-flooring` may be nailed, in the usual manner. The 'inclined sides G act as a dove-tail to partially underlie the plastic base 5), which, while in a plastic condition, will be crowded in overhanging relation, when the strip 1 is forcibly seated, as clearly illustrated in llig. ,1. ot' the drawing, and upon the setting of the latter, will be rigidly held in position. l

Throughout the length of the sleepers or nailing strips 2, a series of spaced holes 7 are provided, -formed by boring with a suitably sized bit, said holes being arranged along a longitudinal center line of the in` clined sides ofy the strips 2, at spaced intervals, the axis of the bores being substantially along a line intersecting the longitudinal center line of the bottom or base of the strip 2.

It is preferable to arrange the two series of inclined holes 7 on the inclined side faces 6 directly opposite each other, as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawing. In this arrangement, the two opposed bores terminate near a common point, as indicated in Fig. 3. These bores or apertures 7 are for the purpose of permitting the ready passage of the filler 3 therethrough, when the latter is in a plastic condition, as will be readily apparent by reference to Fig. 1 of the drawing.

In order to insure the passage of the plasterthrough the bores or apertures 7, longitudinally disposed grooves or channels 8 are provided along the under sides of the strips 2 which form recesses connecting with the inner terminals of the bores 7 and act to confine a quantity of the plastic base material and prevent its escape from under the strips 2, when the latter are pressed into seating position in said material, thus causing the latter to traverse the bores 7 to a greater or less degree, as clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing.

The groove 0r channel is materially less in width than the width of theiiat base or bottom of the sleepers or strips 2, so that flat portions are provided on the base or bottom at each side of the groove, and thus insures a firm even laying of said sleepers or strips.

In utilizing the improved sleepers in the construction of fire-proof buildings, it is only necessary'to position the sleepers 2 in spaced relation to each other a suitable distance apart upon the plastic bases 3. Such distance may be that usually employed for this purpose. No temporary fastening means need be employed to maintain the strips in position while the plastic base 3 is setting. A portion of the base 3 is pressed or forced into the bores or apertures 7 on each side and caused to join and adhere, at the point l of intersection of the opposed bores 7, to the plastic material within the channel 8, thus forming, when the material of the base 3 is set, a complete bar or anchor of said material passing through the strips 2 at spaced intervals, and securely locking the same in position. In many instances the plastic material will be forced entirely through the bore 7 and, falling over, will form a head 8a, which, when set, will materially aid in holding the strip 2 in place, against the great strain to which the same is subjected during the operation of laying the flooring 5. The downward slant of the bores 7 Jfacilitates the entrance of the material of the base 3, which is readily accomplished by pressure upon the top surface of the strips 2. After the base 3 is set, the flooring 5 is applied in the usual manner and secured thereto by the customary nails 9.

In the construction of side walls, the method of procedure is the same, as in the laying of flooring, and it is not deemed necessary to illustrate the same. It will be seen, however, that the strips 2, when used in the construction of walls, are susceptible of supporting tongue and groove material, paneling or any other desired wall covering.

A slightly modiiied form of sleeper is illustrated in Fig. t of the drawing wherein the bores 7 are arranged in staggered relation, the formation of the strip 2 being precisely the same as in the iirst described form. In this form of the invention, a series of individual locking or anchoring members will be provided extending from the inclined faces 6 of the bar 2, at opposite inclinations and connecting with the channel 8 and serve to securely hold the strip 2 in the proper position against the support 1 ofl a floor or wall for the purpose of supporting flooring or other covering.

With the use of strips formed and held in position in accordance with the foregoing, a great savingis effected by reason of the fact that the usual cement filler between the sleepers is dispensed with and the sleepers or strips, by reason of' the locking of the hardened or set base 3, where passing through the bores, 7, are eifectually preventh ed from being moved in any direction from their positions, the adherence of the base 8 tothe support 1 being sufficient to prevent the same, whether applied to a floor or toa wall.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that a simple and efficient means has been provided for the purpose set forth, which will eliminate the use of all fastening means or special contrivances for securing sleepers in position in fire-proof structures, that the same is capable of manufacture at an eX- tremely low cost and that, by obviating the necessity for the use of cement or concrete iiller occupying the entire space between the sleepers, not only is a great saving effected, but the space allows a free passage for air which results, especially in the case of a ground iioo-r, in longer life and greater dura-l u bility of the Hoor boards.

What is claimed is 1. A sleeper for floor or wall construction consisting of a wooden strip of truncated triangular formation in cross section, provided with a longitudinally disposed groove or channel along` its base, and having a-row of inwardly inclined bores extending from one of the inclined sides to the bottom therey of, said bores connecting at their inner ends with said groove or channel, the Hat upper or outer face ofthe strip being imperforate and the width of the groove or channel being materially less than the width ol the base, so as to leave i'lat portions of the base along each side ol the groove or channel.

2. A sleeper 'for Wall or l'loor construction consisting of a Wooden strip of truncated triangular formation in cross section provided with a .longitudinally disposed groove or channel along its base, and having a row et inwardly inclined bores extending 'from each of the inclined sides to the bottom thereof, said bores connecting at their ends with said groove or channel7 the width of the groove or channel being materially less than the Width of the base, so as to leave flat portions of the base at each side o't' the channel, the flat upper or outer face ol the strip being imperforate.

8. In a wall or floor employing individually spaced plastic bases or beds in lieu of the usual coulent o1' concrete [iller occupying the entire space beneath the wall or flooring, the combination with said plastic bases, of wooden strips individual to cach base and bedded therein, each strip being of trun cated triangular 'formation in cross section, the base being Wider than the upper or outer face and having a longitudinal groove the Width of which is less than the width of the base, While the upper or outer face of the strip is made flat and imperliorate, and inclined boris leading :l'roin the base to the .inclined sides, both ends of the bores being open, said bores at their inner ends opening into the said longitudinal groove, and the Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

